


Bewitched by Music

by MorganSloatman230



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: First meeting for this crack ship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:14:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26844964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganSloatman230/pseuds/MorganSloatman230
Summary: Two men, both artisans, have a chance encounter when the two meet one day at a local park. Henry, drawn in by the music, finds that the musician's playing isn't the only thing that the fresh young college artist finds himself attracted to.
Relationships: Jack Fain/Henry Stein
Kudos: 10





	Bewitched by Music

**Author's Note:**

> A crack ship I thought would be interesting to write about. So here we go, anyway!
> 
> Enjoy!

The first time they met, it was around five in the afternoon at the local park. Henry Stein, a college junior that had ambitions of making a career in the animation industry, watched in amazement as he observed a musician play the saxophone on the stage set up, with park goers surrounding it. Although Henry was not much of a jazz fan, he did have to admit that it was hard not to enjoy the music he was hearing now.

It had a nice beat to it, enough for Henry to start tapping his foot along to the rhythm that he heard. The musician playing; a plump man in his early to mid-twenties, with short black hair and thick eyebrows, played with the most intense passion that Henry had ever seen. The player’s face scrunched up and eyebrows furrowed together in concentration as fixated on his craft; never once looking up to view the audience that was, like Henry, enamored with his music.

After observing the other man for a few minutes, a lightbulb suddenly went off in Henry’s head, and the animator pulled out his sketchbook and pencil. Taking only one glance up at the musician as the other continued to play, Henry quickly sketched what he saw on the page before him. Round, Henry thought, round was the word that could be used to describe the jazz player in front of him. Round and soft.

Indeed, for despite the hardened expression on the plump musician’s face as he focused on his playing, the man could be rightfully considered soft. Under his dark eyes, Henry could make out laugh lines around his lower eyelids. The way he moved even had a bounce to it as he played. Henry added this as a detail to give character and life to his flat drawing. The same life that he saw in the man playing.

As the song came to an end, Henry looked back up at the performer. The musician bowed and put on a small grin to the small crowd of adoring fans that clap in applause. Tucking his sketchpad under his arm, Henry began to applaud for the man himself. After the crowd settle down and began to disperse, the plump man began to make his way off stage.

Henry watched as the performer began to pack his saxophone away. Feeling suddenly out of place and shy, Henry slowly made his way over to the other man tentatively. If the musician sensed Henry walking over, he did not let it show immediately. Humming a tune that Henry could not quite recognize, the man placed his instrument delicately away in the confines of its case before closing it with a gentle click. It was only then that the man looked up at Henry.

The musician’s features up close were even softer than they were from afar, Henry noticed. The man had a warm, gentle characteristic about him that made Henry almost forget about his anxiety and relax. It was only after trying to come up with what he was going to say, that Henry’s words dried on his mouth, and the artist felt his nerves flare up again.

After a moment of silence, the other man bellowed out in laughter. A creeping sense of shame and embarrassment in that moment made Henry want to forget what he approached the man for and run home where he could feel at least safe. Before Henry could excuse himself though, the man’s laughter died down and the musician gave Henry a warm grin.

“Well, hello there! What happens to be your name?” Henry returned the grin with a shy smile.

“My name is Henry. I was just taking a stroll in the park when I overheard you playing, and I decided to stop by and listen.” The artist felt his face heat up as he blushed. “You play really well.”

The performer laughed. Henry took note of the fact that the musician’s laughter sounded like bells ringing. Merry and happy. “I am glad to hear you like my music! I have been practicing that piece you heard for weeks. I have got to make sure it is perfect for audience! Wouldn’t want to mess up, would I now?”

Henry chuckled and nodded. “I am an artist too. So, I get what you mean.”

The laughter toned down, and the other man looked at Henry with curiosity. “Artist you say. What kind of artist now?”

Henry looked down at his shoes and felt his face getting redder. The cartoonist felt himself grow sweaty, and due to it being fall, Henry could tell it was not the heat. “…Oh, nothing really. I am just a student studying to become an animator and cartoonist in college.”

The performer’s grin returned. “Animator and cartoonist? Neat! Frankly its nice to meet one of you! Before you, I hadn’t had any luck meeting one!”

Henry smiled a little and looked away. The artist could feel his blush growing bigger. “As I said, I am only a student. I haven’t even graduated yet!”

The other man shook his head. “Don’t sell yourself short! You do not need a degree to be able to do art. I see you have your sketch pad with you. If you do not mind me asking, could I see some of your drawings?”

Henry hesitantly handed over his drawing pad to the musician. As the performer flipped through the pages of the book, Henry could tell that the man seemed to really like his drawings. At least, that was what Henry hoped. As the artisan could feel his anticipation growing for the other man’s potential reaction, Henry could feel sweat building up in the palms of his hands as he clenched them.

“Ah! This is incredibly good, Henry!” Henry could feel his shoulders and clenched fists relax in relief, as the musician handed him back his book. “With your kind of talent, you shouldn’t have to worry about finding a job in the animation industry once you graduate.”

Henry laughed. “I wouldn’t know about that! I heard that the animation industry is hard to get into. I will have to deal with lots of competition and all that.”

Henry felt the man place a hand on his shoulder. “That shouldn’t prevent you from trying to do what you love! I say if you keep at it and have enough persistence, that you will eventually get to where you want to be. That is what my dad told me, anyway!”

Henry chuckled. “I think my own dad told me something similar. Funny how coincidental that is, right?”

Jack laughed and nodded in agreement. “True! Life is funny in the way it works with coincidences, isn’t it?”

Henry nodded, and after a moment of silence, he continued their conversation. “Well, anyway, I am sorry to bother you. I just wanted to say to my friends that I met such a talented performer!”

“And I will say that I got to meet a talented future animator! Also, do not worry about interrupting me! I have nothing planned tonight and was just about to go home and relax. Quite boring, don’t you think?”

Henry could not agree more. “I agree. My life can also get dull quickly too if I do not mix it up. College and working a part-time job may keep me busy, but the same old structured schedule can get pretty boring after a while.”

Jack nodded with sympathy. “I think we all need some form of excitement occasionally in our lives, don’t we? Without adventure, life can become pretty pointless.”

“By the way, I don’t think I ever caught your name. What is it?” Henry felt his heart skip several beats as the other man gave him a warm smile. To him, that smile would become one of the most beautiful things Henry would ever remember.

“Oh, that’s because you haven’t asked for it yet, silly!” Henry bit his lip and looked away flushed in embarrassment.

“I am sorry! I do not usually forget to ask people’s names. I don’t know what is with me tonight.” The musician laughed and gave Henry a few pats on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry! All is not lost!” Henry could not help but chuckle at the man’s good natured and laid-back attitude. “My name, by the way, is Jack Fain! Nice to meet you!”

Henry held out his hand while still feeling a bit nervous. “Good to meet you! My name is Henry Stein.”

Jack chuckled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you this eventful, but dull, afternoon, Mr. Stein!”

“Same with you, Mr. Fain!”

Both laughed together in unison. Henry could not recall feeling this relaxed and happy in a long time. Not even with Joey has Henry ever felt this good. Jack picked up his instrument’s case and extended a handout to Henry.

“It was a pleasure meeting you Henry! I do hope we meet again face to face one day.”

Henry nodded in agreement. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.” Just as the musician was about to make his way off into the night, Henry stopped him by placing his hand on the other’s shoulder.

“If it’s not too much trouble…would you mind if we were to get a drink together? I was hoping to get to know you a bit better before we part ways for good.”

“You sound as though you think fate will not have us ever meet again! But fear not, I accept your kind offer.”

Henry tried his best to suppress a blush coming on his face. “Good! I will buy us the first round!”

Jack gave Henry the widest, and happiest grin he ever saw. “Sounds like a plan to me!”

It was the beginning of what Henry hoped would be a beautiful friendship.


End file.
